As the frequency of operation of radar antennas increases, the spacing between the radiating elements that make up the aperture becomes smaller. For example, the spacing may be less than 1.0 cm (0.400″) center-to-center at 16 GHz (Ku band). In addition, effective phased array radars can have 10,000 or more radiating elements. The radiating elements in these assemblies have critical alignment requirements. They also require isolation between adjacent radiating elements and excellent grounding.
Previous designs require manufacturing individual horn elements, each of which must be produced by a complicated machining process. The individual horn elements must then be mechanically interconnected to adjacent elements to assemble a horn array of a desired size. Such a process is complex both in the machining of the individual horn elements, as well as in the alignment and interconnection of adjacent elements. Thus, there is a need for an improved arrangement and assembly process for fabricating a horn array that reduces or eliminates complex machining steps, and which also simplifies the array assembly process. An improved array structure and method of making the array is thus disclosed.